NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS) 20160005423: Advanced Bayesian Method for Planetary Surface Navigation

Advanced Bayesian Method for
Planetary Surface Navigation

For rovers, robots, and autonomous vehicles

Autonomous Exploration, Inc., has developed an advanced Bayesian statistical
inference method that leverages current computing technology to produce a
highly accurate surface navigation system. The method combines dense stereo
vision and high-speed optical flow to implement visual odometry (VO) to track
faster rover movements. The Bayesian VO technique improves performance
by using all image information rather than corner features only. The method
determines what can be learned from each image pixel and weighs the
information accordingly. This capability improves performance in shadowed
areas that yield only low-contrast images. The error characteristics of the visual
processing are complementary to those of a low-cost inertial measurement unit
(IMU), so the combination of the two capabilities provides highly accurate
navigation.

The method increases NASA mission productivity by enabling faster rover speed
and accuracy. On Earth, the technology will permit operation of robots and
autonomous vehicles in areas where the Global Positioning System (GPS) is
degraded or unavailable.

Applications

NASA Commercial

►

Planetary rovers

► Autonomous vehicles

►

Robots

► Robots

Phase II Objectives

► Develop advanced ground-truth
data

► Improve and enhance the
Bayesian VO algorithm

► Transfer the algorithm to a
real-time computer

► Develop the prototype design

► Construct the prototype module

► Demonstrate and test the
prototype

Benefits

► Low cost

► Lightweight

► Fast and accurate

► More productive

Firm Contact

Autonomous Exploration, Inc.

Julian Center
jcenter@ieee.org
385 High Plain Road
Andover, MA 01810-3234
Phone: 978-269-4120

Proposal Number: 09-2 04.03-9337

NAS A/TM— 20 15-218828

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